Spike.



W. S. GROFUTT.

SPIKE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.27, 1909.

Patented May 3, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIS S. CROFUTT, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN C. DOODY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

SPIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 3, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIS S. CROFUTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Spikes; and I do hereby declare the followlng, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the figures of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a side view of a spike constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2, a rear view of the same.

This invention relates to an improvement in spikes, and particularly to spikes for railroad rails, the object being to provide a spike which will firmly hold, not only against longitudinal strain but particularly against lateral strain such as is applied by the tendency of rails to spread and the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter described and particularly recited in the claim.

The spike comprises a shank 2 and a head 3 of usual size. The shank 2 is rectangular in cross section and tapers at its lower end to an edge 4. In each corner of the shank is a series of notches 5, which form two reversely inclined, fiat surfaces 6, 7. At the rear of the shank and extending down from the head is a spear-shaped wedge 8, the point 9 gradually merging into the shank. This spear-shaped wedge forces its way into the wood so that the fibers are not broken but will spring back, so to speak, over the point of the barb and so firmly hold the spike and the same effect results from the formation of the notches at the corners with two reversely inclined fiat surfaces.

I claim.

A spike having a rectangular shank and a head, said shank formed with a spearshaped wed e on its rear wall extending downward from the head and tapered to merge into the shank.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLIFFORD J. REED, FREDERIC C. EARLE. 

